Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an immigrant who worked hard to build his country.

He had a long-term vision for a big Canada, the Canada we are fortunate to inherit. He believed the federal government should lead in realizing that vision. He worked for this vision by serving as the first occupant of the seat that I am now proud to occupy and as the first prime minister of Canada.

In 2015 we will celebrate the bicentennial of Sir John A. Macdonald. I thank Mr. Arthur Milnes and the Sir John A. Macdonald Bicentennial Commission in Kingston, Ontario for organizing the commemoration.

As the Minister of Finance said, “All eyes should be on Kingston on January 11, 2015”. I thank him and Tory senators Mike Duffy and Linda Frum for their continuing support. As well, I thank the first person to lead a VIP Sir John A. tour in Kingston, the leader of the Liberal Party, the member for Toronto Centre.

Madam Speaker, on November 12 of this year, St. John's Lutheran Church in Vernon in my riding of Okanagan—Shuswap celebrated its 100th anniversary; 100 years of programs for children, youth groups, marriage counselling, seniors' activities, as well as ministering to the spiritual needs of the people of Vernon.

It has been said that for democracy to survive it must be supported by a virtuous citizenry. It is also said that elected representatives are a reflection of the values of the citizens they represent.

Churches across Canada have contributed to our Canadian democracy by teaching the brotherhood of mankind the call to serve one another and the obligation of accountability to our creator.

I thank St. John's Lutheran Church in Vernon and all churches in Canada that have contributed to the important work of tending to the spiritual well-being of Canadians and moulding those values that are the foundation of Canadian life.

Madam Speaker, on November 7, 2011, after opposing this project for months, the Neuville municipal council was forced to announce to the public that an airport would be built in their municipality.

Although the people of Neuville have clearly spoken out against the construction of this airport, the Carriage by Air Act, which is federal legislation, gives small groups of developers the freedom to set up where they want, without consulting the municipality or the public. For a long time, the mayor has been calling for a meeting with the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, but the minister has refused, claiming that municipalities fall under provincial jurisdiction.

Is the minister so disconnected that he has forgotten the Supreme Court ruling confirming that federal legislation has authority over Quebec legislation when it comes to agricultural zoning? This ruling clearly shows that the minister is responsible for this issue.

It is time for him to take his job seriously and publicly commit to meeting with the mayor of Neuville.

Madam Speaker, last week we spent time remembering the service and sacrifice of Canadians in uniform. One in particular struck a chord with me.

Group Captain Rayne Dennis “Joe” Schultz was an Alberta boy who joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in July 1940 and started a distinguished RCAF career that lasted 37 years.

During the war, Joe flew de Havilland Mosquitos in the night fighter role with one of my old squadrons, the 410 Cougars. He finished the war as an ace with eight kills, including four in one night, which earned him and his navigator the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Known as “Mr. Flight Safety”, his efforts were recognized by the Flight Safety Foundation and the United States Air Force Aerospace Safety Hall of Fame.

In Canada, he was awarded the Trans-Canada McKee Trophy in 1978. He was inducted into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 1997.

Like many young aviators, I received the benefit of Joe's personal advice and had the privilege of knowing him for many years.

After a fighter pilot's struggle, Joe slipped the surly bonds of earth for the last time, appropriately on Remembrance Day 2011, in his 89th year.

Madam Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to Mr. Dale Brady from Valemount, B.C., who just received his second Medal of Bravery from the Governor General.

Dale Brady, chief pilot with Yellowhead Helicopters, and Steve Blake, visitor safety specialist with Parks Canada, rescued a group of hikers off Mount Robson in 2008 after they were reported overdue. These hikers had been on the mountain for three weeks when they found they could no longer continue. The chances of them surviving another night were very slim.

The rescue was extremely difficult as the weather at the top of the Canadian Rockies' highest peak was incredibly unstable. After getting a very small break in the weather, Brady and Blake headed to Mount Robson. Due to a steady hand and the experience of Mr. Brady, Mr. Blake was successfully lowered down from the helicopter and extracted the men off the side of the mountain.

Mr. Brady's courage and willingness to risk his own life to save another's is both admirable and extraordinary. His actions inspire a nation and command our deepest gratitude.

Madam Speaker, November 20 is Universal Children's Day, commemorating the UN's adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989.

That same year this House voted unanimously to end child poverty. The motion was put forward by our former leader, Ed Broadbent.

Sadly, on this Universal Children's Day, Canadians are realizing that more and more children are slipping into poverty as their families suffer during the economic crisis.

That is why I want to echo the call of UNICEF and the Canadian Association of Social Workers who are celebrating today by calling once again for an independent children's commissioner.

The lack of movement on appointing a children's commissioner, first suggested in 2003, was highlighted by the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children in its report to the UN on Canada's progress.

A commissioner would be able to investigate government policies that discriminate against vulnerable groups, like aboriginal children, and measure the impact on children's rights of new legislation. In addition, a commissioner could tell us why, after 22 years, Canada still has made no progress on reducing child poverty.

Madam Speaker, I am rising today to bring attention to National Child Day, which will take place on Sunday, November 20.

We all have a role to play in ensuring that children reach their full potential as the future of our country.

Unlike the Liberals, the Conservative government has delivered real results to ensure that we are supporting Canadian children and families. In fact, we have made the largest investments in Canadian history.

This year alone, we will provide over $6 billion in early childhood development and child care funding. We have also introduced the universal child care benefit, giving $2.6 billion annually to 1.5 million families. We have implemented tax measures that have put more than $3,000 back into the pockets of every Canadian family. This makes a real difference for Canadians in these tough economic times.

Our government values the important contribution that families make to our country to improve its well-being.

I encourage all Canadians to participate in National Child Day on November 20.

Madam Speaker, I stand today to recognize November 20, the Transgender Day of Remembrance. This is a day when people in communities across Canada and around the world gather to remember the victims of transphobic violence and to dedicate themselves to working to end all forms of discrimination against transgender and transsexual people.

The House will have an opportunity to take an important step toward ensuring full equality by including gender identity and gender expression as prohibited grounds of discrimination in the Canadian Human Rights Act when my private member's bill comes forward in the new year.

Other actions are needed to help end discrimination in the workplace, in housing, in health care, in the justice system, and in the provision of identity documents.

Let us remember that transgender and transsexual Canadians are members of our families. They are our neighbours. They are our co-workers. They are our friends. Canada is richer for their life experience and the many ways they contribute to our communities. On the Transgender Day of Remembrance, they also help us to understand our own humanity and the full meaning of equality.

New Democrats are honoured to stand in solidarity with transgender Canadians on this important day.

Madam Speaker, I rise today because later this afternoon we will be debating my private member's Bill C-288, the national flag of Canada act.

The bill is important because too many Canadians have been forced to take down their flag when they have been trying to show support and pride for this great country and the values in which we believe, Canadians like Mr. Vachon, the Cassidys, the Wittemans, and so many others like them. Later today I will be telling their stories.

These Canadians and so many more have stood up for our flag, our flag which represents freedom, democracy, courage and justice.

It is also time that we as members of Parliament stood up for our flag and all it represents by supporting these Canadians and so many more who have been treated unfairly for far too long.

Madam Speaker, 25 years ago today, Ontario's legislative assembly passed the French Language Services Act, known in French as Loi 8. It guarantees an individual's right to receive services in French from Government of Ontario ministries and agencies in 25 designated areas throughout the province.

It would be impossible to mention this important anniversary without paying tribute to the work of Bernard Grandmaître, a good friend of mine, who was the Ontario government's minister responsible for francophone affairs at the time.

We should be thankful for the Peterson government's leadership and the influence this event had on other parts of the country with francophone minorities. In fact, since that time, other provinces such as Nova Scotia and Manitoba have passed laws or adopted policies similar to Ontario's French Language Services Act.

Today we are celebrating this turning point in our country's francophone history. The French Language Services Act was a very important step in the positive evolution of Canada's linguistic duality.

Madam Speaker, it has been confirmed that 29 Coptic Christians fell victim to acts of violence in Egypt yesterday while attempting to commemorate their brethren who fell as a result of violence during a peaceful demonstration on October 9.

Our government finds this violence in Egypt to be completely unacceptable. We passed a motion unanimously in the House calling for a transparent investigation into the violence and for those responsible to be held accountable.

We hear loud and clear the cries for support from Coptic Christians here and in Egypt.

On behalf of all Canadians, I offer our condolences to the families of the victims and to those whom they were commemorating.

Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right and a vital building block for healthy democracies. People of faith must be able to practise and worship in peace and security.

Once again in the House we will make it clear that discrimination and violence against the Coptic community must stop.

Madam Speaker, yesterday, female Canada Post workers won the battle for their fundamental right to pay equity. The government had been denying them that right for 28 years, spending millions of dollars on court costs to oppose women's rights. With the Liberals' help, in budget 2008, the Conservatives took away the hard-earned gains that had been made in the area of pay equity. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Despite the Conservatives' attempt to suppress the rights of female workers, Canada is moving forward, thanks largely to the contribution made by one of the members of this House. Today the entire NDP team would like to recognize the efforts of the leader of the official opposition and hon. member for Hull—Aylmer.

Despite constant attacks by the Conservatives, she worked tirelessly with PSAC to improve women's equality in Canada. Despite desperate attacks by the Conservatives, she will continue to fight for women's rights and the rights of all Canadian workers. Now that is Canadian leadership. The united NDP team and our party leader are building a better Canada together.

Madam Speaker, this week, committee hearings began on the ending the long gun registry act. Rather than inviting law-abiding hunters, farmers and sports shooters to talk about how the long gun registry affects them personally, unsurprisingly, the NDP chose to invite its big union buddies, the Canadian Labour Congress, as its first witness. That is the same party that robbed residents of two northern Ontario ridings of their voice in this place by placing a gag order on MPs who dared to vote the wishes of their constituents.

While Canadians find this sort of behaviour upsetting, it should come as no surprise. After all, it is always special interests first and constituents last with the NDP.

Our government will continue to respect Canadian voters who gave us a strong mandate to end the wasteful and ineffective long gun registry once and for all. Giving the stage to big union bosses and silencing ordinary rural and northern Canadians is yet another worrying example that the disunited NDP is unfit to govern.

Madam Speaker, yesterday, the Conservatives finally decided to compromise a little and allow members of Parliament to do their work and examine the provisions of Bill C-10. The Minister of Justice even demonstrated flexibility by indicating to the Government of Quebec that it might be possible to reintroduce the amendments proposed by his Quebec counterpart.

Can the government confirm that it is prepared to amend its bill in order to focus on rehabilitation and social reintegration?

Madam Speaker, Canadians, including Quebeckers, want this government to take action to protect the people of Canada from criminals. That is why we introduced Bill C-10.

If the opposition parties have amendments to propose that will provide Canadians with stronger protection against criminals, the government will consider them. However, we are asking the NDP why it has voted against every bill designed to protect Canadians from criminals.